Beers: Type & Terms

Glossary Page 3: Beers ~ C To E

This is Page 3 of an eight-page glossary of beer terms. Click on the black links below to visit other pages. Also see our many other food glossaries, chock-full of information about your favorite foods.

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CASK-CONDITIONED

Draft beer or ale that is neither filtered nor pasteurized and has a secondary fermentation and natural clarification in the cellar of the pub. This should produce a relatively clear brew with a light natural carbonation.

CHOCOLATE BEER or CHOCOLATE STOUT
Chocolate beer, which can be a lager, stout or other beer variety, has the subtle flavor of chocolate and a chocolate-brown color (see photo above). This can be achieved by blending different types of roasted barley, adding real chocolate to the brew, or both. Some brewers use chocolate extract, some brew over cacao beans. Depending on the method, the beer will have a greater or lesser intensity of chocolate flavor, but the result is a slightly sweet brew that can be enjoyed with dessert or incorporated into one. Here’s a recipe for a luscious chocolate stout float.

CREAM ALE

An American term for a very pale ale. Cream ale is an American creation, usually a blend of half lager and half golden ale. It is a good accompaniment to frankfurters and bratwurst.

CREAM STOUT or MILK STOUT
A stout containing lactose, a sugar derived from milk. Because the lactose is not fermented by the beer yeast, it remains to add sweetness and body (plus calories) to the finished beer. Cream stout is for those who want the flavor of stout without the dry astringency common (think sweet malt instead of bitter roasted malt). Also called sweet stout. See stout.

DESSERT BEER Fruit-flavored and chocolate-flavored beers are often enjoyed with dessert. Chocolate beer and stout are growing in popularity. See chocolate beer.

DOPPLEBOCK or DOUBLE BOCKDopplebock is German for extra-strong—around 7.5% alcohol by volume, or stronger. It is a bottom-fermented beer, tawny or dark brown in color. It’s a southern Germany spring specialty, seasonally brewed in March and April. See also bock and triple bock.

DORTMUNDER-STYLE LAGER or
DORTMUNDER EXPORT
In the mid-19th century, several breweries in the city of Dortmund, Germany, began brewing beers in a new manner, switching from what had been dark malt that made dark beer, to the more expensive pils malt that made a gold lager (the Kronen brewery was the first to make the switch, in 1842). The new bottom-fermenting pale lager quickly gained popularity and became the main product of the industrial breweries founded in Dortmund in the second half of the 19th century. Initially, the beer was brewed at two strengths, Lagerbier and Export; but Export, the stronger beer, proved more popular and became known as Dortmunder Export. It is a well-balanced beer, with neither malt nor hops dominating. It complements most foods, and can be served with lighter fare such as salads, fish and chicken.

DUNKELWEIZEN
A dark version of a wheat beer (“dunkel” is the German word for dark).

Dortmund-style lager. Photo courtesy of Great Lakes Brewing Co.

DRAFT BEEF
Beer drawn from a keg. Bottled or canned beer labeled “Genuine Draft” implies that it, like most beer pumped from kegs, is unpasteurized. However, it is sterile filtered for longer shelf life.

DRAUGHT
The British spelling of draft. It is pronounced “draft.”

DRY BEER
Adapted and named by the Japanese after the popular German beer, Diat Pils, a low-carb Pilsner fermented to higher alcohol. American Dry Beer has standard alcohol levels, little taste and no finish.

EISBIER or ICE BEER
A higher-alcohol beer produced by chilling it below 32°F (0°C) and filtering out the ice crystals that form.

ENGLISH PALE ALE or INDIA PALE
ALE
Pale Ale was brewed as early as the 1780s, a domestic variation of the German Oktoberfest ales. The style, characterized by clean nutty malts and spicy herbal hops, was easily paired with English foods and cheeses and became very popular. In the late 18th century, an ale was needed that could survive the long trip from the England to India. Brewers added more hops, thus creating the style known as India Pale Ale (IPA) and later, English Pale Ale. According to BeerAdvcate.com, English Pale Ale originated in Burton-on-Trent, a town on the River Trent in Staffordshire (central England). The local hard water enhances the bitterness of the English hops. The ale ranges from golden to reddish amber in color, with a mix of buttery, earthy, fruity, hoppy, and malty aromas and flavors. American brewers have adapted the style to an even hoppier American Pale Ale.